Seating systems that provide seating with attached desks or work surfaces are often convenient for use in lecture halls, classrooms, meeting rooms, or similar facilities. Some existing seating systems of this type have desks or work surfaces supported above a floor by structural support elements. Seats are attached to the support elements by a pivot arm extending from the support element, so that the seat can be stowed under the desk when not in use.
It is known to include biasing means in these seating systems to bias the swing arm to the stowed position. The biasing means in known seating systems comprises a tension spring having one end fixed to the structural member, and the other end fixed at a point along the length of the arm. The tension springs can be difficult to install, and generally remain exposed so that they are prone to damage and/or premature wear.
Furthermore, in known seating systems having seats attached to pivot arms, the angular position of the pivot arm relative to the structural member defining the stowed position is not adjustable once the seating system has been manufactured and assembled. Accordingly, due to variations in the manufacturing and assembly of the seating systems, adjacent seats in a row of seating may not have uniform stowed positions. In other words, some seats may be spaced away from the work surface when in the stowed position, while other seats may touch the work surface when in the stowed position. An excessive gap between the seat and the desk when in the stowed position can obstruct aisles between adjacent rows of seats. Having no space at all between the seat and the desk when in the stowed position can cause wear or damage to the seat and the desk. As well, seats having different spacings between the seats and the desk when in the stowed position can create an untidy appearance.
With respect to the structural members of the known seating systems, uprights having a vertical lower portion and an inclined upper portion are generally used to support the work surface above the floor. The upper and lower portions of the uprights are typically constructed of square or rectangular steel channel, with a welded joint provided between the upper and lower portions. Accordingly, the uprights can be rather costly.
It is also known in existing seating systems to provide a swivel joint between the chair and the pivot arm to which it is attached. Providing an auto-orientation feature whereby the seat is biased towards the forward direction is also a known feature. Examples of existing swivel joints comprise dual inner and outer compression springs, thrust bearings, and co-operating cam surfaces. These joints are rather complex and can be costly to produce.